Sunday, November 15, 2015

#Jesus Lived Out A Gospel We Can Follow. #JesusFollowers

So that the Gospel might be better recommended to the world, Jesus was in his own person an example of strict conformity to it, by conforming his affections and actions to that unalterable rule of action which is founded in the reason of things.

Jesus preached his own life, and lived his own doctrine, and thereby he was at once a standing monument of the practicableness of virtue, and of the present peace and happiness that flows from it.

In him, we may see what it is to live a godly, righteous, sober, and benevolent life; and that what he requires from us as the ground of God's favor is neither unreasonable, nor impracticable. In him, we have an example of a quiet and peaceable spirit, of a becoming modesty and sobriety, just and honest, upright and sincere, and above all of a most gracious and benevolent attitude and behavior.

His life was a beautiful picture of human nature, when in its native purity and simplicity, and showed at once what excellent creatures men would be, when under the influence and power of that Gospel which he preached unto them.

And as his holy life and doctrine drew on him the unreasonable resentment of the Clergy among the Jews, who stirred up the rest of the people against him: so this gave an occasion for his sealing his testimony with his blood, and of giving an instance of the greatest Benevolence towards mankind.

And just as his life was an excellent pattern and example of every good word and work, and therefore very fit and proper for his disciples and followers to copy after, so his death was no less exemplary.

For he not only laid down his life to promote the greatest and the most general good to mankind, but he did it in such a manner (by exercising such patience and resignation under the severest trials and most painful afflictions and persecutions) as to render him highly worthy of our imitation.